The future of aircraft maintenance arrives in Malaysia
Asia Digital Engineering Sdn Bhd (ADE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of AirAsia Group Berhad, is well on its way of becoming Asia’s leading provider of aviation engineering services as it obtained base maintenance approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
With the approval, ADE will now not only perform regular line maintenance, but also base maintenance (hangar or C-checks) for the AirAsia Group’s airlines, and will also be available to support third party airlines for aircraft maintenance repairs and overhaul (MRO).
Mahesh Kumar, CEO of ADE said: “ADE has made great progress since it was launched in the midst of the pandemic in September last year. We are thrilled to expand our services now to support AirAsia Group and other airlines in the region. AirAsia Group have been sending aircraft to other MRO operators for scheduled base maintenance, which will now be able to be serviced locally in Malaysia delivering significant efficiencies including reduced maintenance costs. Furthermore, ADE has received approvals from the Directorates-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of India and Indonesia and we will continue to work with other aviation authorities in Asean as well as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for further approvals to support more local, regional and international operators with leading edge technology, innovation, and great value services at the highest quality.
“We always believe Malaysia should be the strategic hub for aircraft maintenance in the region and beyond, creating jobs and economic benefits for the future and we thank CAAM for assisting to make this a reality. Based on demand, we are looking to expand our aircraft maintenance facilities and services in KLIA, Johor and other airports in Malaysia by either utilising existing hangars or building new hangars.
“With this base maintenance approval from CAAM, ADE is now poised to become not just the biggest MRO in Malaysia, but also one of the biggest in Asean and beyond. Importantly, as ADE continues to drive digital innovation, our base maintenance division will continue to enable ADE to deliver industry leading, cost effective and high quality solutions through cutting edge technologies, which previously were not possible.
“Our operations are highly driven by big data and state-of-the-art digital technologies. Being a fully integrated digital company, we strive for operational excellence through enhanced visibility, intelligence, and decision making enabled by data. By combining data from our daily operations with other external data sources, we can provide our customers with the most comprehensive end-to-end solutions to meet their needs.”
“With our experienced team of more than 19 years supporting AirAsia Group’s airline operations, our qualified technical workforce will ensure best in breed services tailored to any operation. As every aircraft is unique and every situation requires a tailored solution with an optimum outcome, we will always ensure the best, tailor-made solutions in supporting our clients.”